Designer Vivienne Tam has a way of making clothing that feels both structured and carefree at once. It’s no easy feat to craft a garment that conveys delicacy without being too soft, too pretty, but she pulled it off in a series of pieces for spring 2012, including a smudged petal print used for blouses, a blazer and a shirt dress.

Tam has a Zen garden at her apartment, and strolling through the space inspired the collection, she said on Saturday, backstage after the show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. “The trees, plants, woods, the light, the tranquility. It’s so peaceful,” she said.

Bamboo showed up in a pretty, pale blue cotton print she used for a cropped jacket, a fringe dress and slim-fitting pants.

Petal references also came in the form of fluttery sleeves and fabric orchids appliquéd onto blouses.